news story

9th May 2008

Residents Flock to Hear of Housing Threat to Chipping Sodbury

Steve Webb MP speaking at the Chipping Sodbury housing meeting

Over 200 local residents were present at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall last night (Thursday 8th) at a meeting organised by Steve Webb MP and the local Liberal Democrats to discuss the threat of mass house building around the town. The meeting followed on from a similar event last month at Brimsham Green school where Yate residents were alerted to the plans.

The meeting was chaired by Cllr Adrian Rush and started by hearing from local MP Steve Webb about how central government is currently considering a plan for more than 30,000 houses in South Gloucestershire, including 5,000 in the Yate & Chipping Sodbury area.

Residents were encouraged to give their views on these plans to the Minister in charge, Hazel Blears, when a public consultation is launched later in the year. Steve Webb also gave details of a South Gloucestershire Council consultation which has just been launched which looks at sites around the local area.  

Major developments could happen at Engine Common, north of Brimsham Park and around the Northern and Eastern edge of Chipping Sodbury, including on open land off St. John's Way.

Yate councillor and planning expert Chris Willmore took residents through the details of the process and highlighted the potential impact of over-development on traffic, flooding, health services and other public services. She also questioned assertions by the Government panel that this area is already well served by public transport.

A question-and-answer session followed the presentations with residents pointing out the even greater pressure on health services that would result from the development, and in response Steve Webb reiterated his total opposition to closing Frenchay and said the planned houses would make that decision even harder to defend.

Chipping Sodbury councillor Linda Boon asked residents to let her know of issues relating to local health services that she could raise as part of the Council's 'health scrutiny' process.  The meeting also discussed who owns the land in question and what sort of houses would be built.

Commenting after the meeting, Steve Webb said:

"The large attendances that we have had for this series of meetings shows that local residents recognise that massive over-development could ruin the character of our area.

"Whilst there is a need for affordable housing for local families, massive development on this scale is simply unsustainable and should not be imposed on us by Central Government.

"We are urging residents to respond both to the Council's current consultation and to the Government's later in the year. Unless we speak up loud and clear now, the die will be cast for the next 20 years".

* More details of the South Gloucestershire consultation can be found here or at public libraries and one-stop shops

* Click here to see a copy of Chris Willmore's slides from the meeting